The Day Leo Said I Hate You!

I love this book and recommend it highly. I use it with students all the time.

The Day Leo Said I Hate You by Robie H. is about a boy who said I hate you to someone and he hated when his mom said no. After he made his mom say no and after he made his mom gasp and burn like fire and her hair stick way up high in the air. His mom came in oh no she gasped again and again. "No drawing on the walls!" while she is out she said. The Day Leo Said I Hate You reminds me of books I read, No David! and My Rotten Red Headed Older Brother. It also reminds me of when my brother said I hate you and when he drew on the walls. This is about a story when you can't always say you hate someone when you don't hate them. So the theme of the book is to be respectful to each and one another and to be friendly. You may have to be nice no matter where you are. If you like fighting with your brother you would like this book. It has lots of detail and information. I would give it a 10 out of 10 because it reminds me of my child hood when I was small.

Leo's mother was always saying no. No, no, no, NO! She said that when he rolled tomatoes across the floor. Splat, one hit the wall! She said that when he put string beans in the fish bowl. Plop! She said that when he danced on the table and again when he squeezed toothpaste all over the toilet seat and down into the bowl. "Mommy, no more no's! I HATE no! His mommy explained to him that there were some things he was going to do that would make her say no, but there were some things he "should not do." Well, Leo got very angry and went to his room. He got out his crayons and started to draw a mean old picture of his mean old mommy on the wall. He even "made her mouth turn down" and "made her hair stick way up in the air." He was still drawing when all of a sudden his mean old mommy came into the room and began saying that awful word NO again. He started yelling at his mommy saying things like she couldn't say that word in his room and he demanded that she leave. She didn't. All of a sudden Leo said something that shocked them . . . "I HATE YOU!" Oh, my! Leo had done something just awful to his mommy! What on Earth could he do now? This is a story that will resonate with every parent or caretaker. This behavior is not at all uncommon and although unacceptable, a child needs to know that he or she is loved in spite of the unfortunate incident. Each individual handles this "crisis" in his or her own way, but a book like this is comforting. The art work is colorful and brings the emotional impact of this type of incident to life. This is the perfect book for any parent or caretaker . . . especially if you have heard "those other three words!"

I work with families with a focus on children 0-5 years of age. I found this book at the library and tested it out on the kiddos and instantly knew it was a "must have." The kids LOVE it. Children that often have a difficult time sitting still appear mesmorized by the illustrations and the story.The reading is fun, quick, identifyable, and enjoyable. It also opens the door to exploring feelings of anger,frustration and many others, while identifying difficult responsibilitites of parents, and how they love their children unconditionally. My new copy is already showing signs of loving wear. Highly recommend.

Leo is so tired of Mommy's NOs that he retreats to his room just to be in a no NO zone. He quickly finds that there's no such thing when Mommy walks in and tosses yet another NO Leo's way. This is when Leo decides to throw his own verbal weapon at Mommy. This is a book all kids can relate to, as it puts anger, temper, fear, and doubt on display. Facing off with overwhelming emotion can be a challenge, and it's comforting for kids to know that others find the struggle just as difficult. The illustrations, which blend paper cutouts and photographs, are just as kid-friendly as the text. They include lots of movement and color to liven things up. Simple line meets rich texture on each page and words are uniquely highlighted throughout the book. This is a book that will stay on my shelf for a lot of re-reading and enjoyment. Reviewed by: Julie M. Prince